The Freedom Watch

U.S. Air Force can’t find enough people willing to be drone pilots

"The US Air Force is unable to keep up with a growing demand for pilots capable of operating drones, partly due to a shortage of volunteers, according to a new study. Despite the importance placed on the burgeoning robotic fleet, drone operators face a lack of opportunities for promotion to higher ranks and the military has failed to identify and cultivate this new category of aviators, Air Force Colonel Bradley Hoagland wrote in the report published for the Brookings Institution think tank. As of last year, the Air Force has 1,300 drone pilots, making up about 8.5 percent of the force’s aviators, compared to 3.3 percent four years [earlier]." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingU.S. Air Force can’t find enough people willing to be drone pilots

Lebron James Escorted Through Oncoming Traffic To Concert By Police

"'It's unclear which law enforcement agency assisted King James in his concert commute, or whether the NBA superstar, who recently earned $56.6 million, arranged for such services himself. TMZ reports four law enforcement agencies, including City of Miami PD, Miami-Dade PD, Miami Gardens PD, and the Florida Highway Patrol have all denied escorting LeBron -- but a source with Miami-Dade Police told the site they are 'investigating' the breach of protocol.' The Young Turks hosts Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian break it down." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLebron James Escorted Through Oncoming Traffic To Concert By Police

French cops caught on video beating and tear-gassing women at traffic stop

"The driver allegedly refused to take a breathalizer exam and swung at the officers. As the video opens, one of the women can be seen behind one of the officers, while the apparent driver lies on the ground. At one point, he hits her with his baton. Radio France Internationale reported that, according to police sources, the woman was biting the officer. After the two separate, the officer grabs a can of tear gas and sprays it in her face before apparently admonishing a man standing at the scene to walk away. The officer later sprays another woman in the face. The video later shows the driver and the first woman being arrested." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFrench cops caught on video beating and tear-gassing women at traffic stop

Oakland citizen activist says city worker assaulted him

"The resident, 36-year-old Joshua Daniels, is recovering from a black eye and broken eye socket that required 10 stitches at Highland Hospital to close a wound that he said he suffered when a city worker, who was cleaning up the plaza, attacked him during a confrontation. Daniels, a regular activist at Oakland City Council meetings and no stranger to many city officials, said the confrontation began about 8:30 a.m. as he was walking through the plaza and spit his gum into a trash bin that was being used by city workers. [..] 'Truthfully, when I pulled out my phone and started filming, that's when it escalated,' Daniels said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOakland citizen activist says city worker assaulted him

Peter Schiff: The GDP Distractor

"Over eons, small creeks can carve large canyons through solid rock. The same phenomenon may be at work in our economy. A minor, but persistent under bias in the inflation gauge used in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) may have created a wildly distorted picture of our economic health." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPeter Schiff: The GDP Distractor

Bitcoin could be a boon for porn and other high-risk merchants

"The adult industry is known for its technological innovation. It was among the first to stream video commercially, for example. 'I’m convinced that once the big players go in the underground world, the mainstream guys will follow,' said Spagaris, who used to work for adult entertainment giant Manwin, which owns several huge porn brands. 'They’ll see that people are making money off this.' But it hasn’t happened in significant numbers yet and one of the biggest reasons, other than the concern about regulatory issues and the general lack of awareness, has been bitcoin’s lack of support for recurring payments." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBitcoin could be a boon for porn and other high-risk merchants

Groklaw Shuts Down Over U.S. Internet Surveillance

"My personal decision is to get off of the Internet to the degree it's possible. I'm just an ordinary person. But I really know, after all my research and some serious thinking things through, that I can't stay online personally without losing my humanness, now that I know that ensuring privacy online is impossible. I find myself unable to write. I've always been a private person. That's why I never wanted to be a celebrity and why I fought hard to maintain both my privacy and yours. Oddly, if everyone did that, leap off the Internet, the world's economy would collapse, I suppose. I can't really hope for that. But for me, the Internet is over." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGroklaw Shuts Down Over U.S. Internet Surveillance

Federal Drug Agency Denies Marijuana Is Less Toxic Than Alcohol

"The National Institute on Drug Abuse released an eyebrow-raising statement to PolitiFact on Monday, denying that marijuana is less toxic than alcohol. 'Claiming that marijuana is less toxic than alcohol cannot be substantiated since each possess their own unique set of risks and consequences for a given individual,' wrote the institute. NIDA, part of the National Institutes of Health, funds government-backed scientific research and has a stated mission 'to lead the nation in bringing the power of science to bear on drug abuse and addiction.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFederal Drug Agency Denies Marijuana Is Less Toxic Than Alcohol